#best fictional character of all time

[beyondtoast]

Lady Au Pair, Queen Etheria, Dr. Girlfriend, Queen Etheria (revisited), Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, Councilwoman Monarch

[sauljudgeman]

HE'S MY VALENTINE, NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE HIM😤

But seriously, happy Valentine's Day to everyone. Will post again, later! Kind of wasn't in the mood to post for some days, due to an ongoing earwax blockage issue.

[infinitelilith]

Listen, I know everyone has pointed this out already and that it's old news at this point but I simply cannot get over the fact that these are the same people. The fact that one of them thinks he's in control of the situation while he's actually being played by someone who had it all figured out before he was even born. The fact that one of the reasons for why the old man is doing all of this is because he lost almost all of his friends a lifetime ago, not knowing that one of them is standing right in front of him. And that that old friend has to pretend like he has no idea. I just can't get over the fucking layers of tragedy at play between these two. It's going to haunt me forever

[mouse-fantoms]

On top of being robbed of so much Juke content we’ll never get, what I think about alot is how Juke would have been approached more if it went further.

One of the (many) reasons I love jatp so much is it makes me believe their characters are real, that they have background, they have their own goals and ambitions to them, they’re fleshed out.

That moment of Flynn going “my girls got a crush and his name is Luke” and Julie going “what no?! Luke’s a ghost😳.” And Flynn saying “a cute ghost” and Julie giving in and saying “…with a perfect smile☺️” and adding that Luke is “cute air” which implies she has indeed given this Luke crush idea some thought.

That moment of just two best friends talking about the others potential crush like that’s such a good moment bc I genuinely believe that I am watching these two genuine besties just have that kind of talk with one another bc that happens!

Like that moment we have with our friends when they’re like “hey I got something to tell you 👀” or they approach you like “so… umm… I’ve been kind of noticing your behavior lately around this person.” It’s the realistic little things like that which is why I appreciate this show so much.

Julie having the line of “what no! Luke’s a ghost!” Means so much that, on top of acknowledging “hey he’s got a cute smile, and he himself is cute” she also acknowledged “…he is a ghost though…” but then our Julie being who she is (we love her for it) went “but he still do be cute though 🥰” like this is a genuine teen girl in high school having a crush

And then later on when Reggie and Alex bring up how Luke and Julie ooze chemistry (and the way that throughout the show when Julie and Luke are being cute and them, the looks that we see Reggie and Alex give like Juke and then each other is so good bc I genuinely believe like “yeah these boys are all friends with one another so of course they’d react that way to their other friend showing an interest in their fellow friend”) Luke’s like “no come on I have chemistry with everyone I sing with” HE DOES THE SAME THING JULIE DID WHEN THE EXACT SAME TOPIC EAS BROUGHT UP TO HER! (Soulmates your honor!)

Him denying it, like Julie did, implies too that he also had the thinking of “…she is alive though and I’m not” (I mean me personally I feel like Luke didn’t truly realize he liked her until later on even if there were signs earlier, just bc he seems like the kind of person where like music was his absolute everything like even if the Sunset Curve fangirls were always like ‘omg Luke is amazing 😍’, I just get the vibe that he would never really notice the advances towards him bc he is just so consumed in music and that is his whole existence, so when Reggie and Alex see that Luke appears to be falling for Julie it’s a big deal bc they’re probably like “Luke has NEVER shown any interest ever so the fact that a girl has replaced music in his life THIS IS A MASSIVE DEAL”)

And then the moment when they’re on Julie’s porch and she tries to hold his hand but ya know CANT (huge what a gut punched) and then she awkwardly looks away and he’s like “…this is an interesting little relationship you and I have” and they’re just there for a moment just looking and smiling at each other (THEY’RE FLIRTING SO MUCH WITHOUT SAYING ANY WORDS UGH TAKE ME 😩)

I am sat there genuinely believing that these are two teenagers who even though they know they’re not *supposed* to feel a way about each other, they still do. Like that scene is their confession to one another and it’s so sweet and genuine bc in that moment where Julie tries to hold his hand, they’re brought back to reality as to what they are and yet, they can’t help but still like one another and appreciate each other bc of what the other person has changed so much in their life.

AND THEN, that scene in the beginning of the last episode how Julie asks to talk to Luke (and Reggie and Alex immediately are like “oop leave them be 👀 they’re having a moment” being the greatest friends that they are) and they’re both standing there, in each others presence, it takes a moment for Julie to say what she wants to but they’re just two kids who ended up in each others lives and they know they like each other but they know they can’t act on those feelings yet they still just have this love for each other is so enduring and charming. The way Luke tells her “anything Julie you know that” MAKES ME MELT like ugh 😩 their dynamic and friendship has grown so much with each other from episode 1 to like now and it’s so just ugh it gets me

When I think how Juke could have been approached if we had gotten a chance, I would have loved to see the new like “glowing touch” development and how that would impact their dynamic. (I just imagine Reggie just hugs Julie all the time bc he can (he just seems like such a hugger and I feel like he’d give good ones🥺) and Alex also will gives her side hugs (they just take advantage of being able to physically touch her bc they don’t know how long they’re able to do it for with their new ghost development)) I feel like Luke and Julie would just be a bit apprehensive since the hand holding thing on the porch, and maybe their hug was just a one time thing.

Would have loved to see Carlos referring to Luke as “Julie’s boyfriend” (he was there for edge of great and stand tall THERES NO WAY he’s thinking anything of than “the sleeveless one is indeed my sisters boyfriend”) would be extra great too with like Luke being in the room and Carlos just says that and Julie quickly trying to make him not talk about it bc it’s embarrassing 💀 her just being like “Carlos, he’s a ghost” and him being like “…hey with you having a boyfriend are you going to have less time with Dad and I bc you’ll be busy kissing him?” And Julie’s face just goes pale as Luke takes the time to take himself out of room meanwhile his face his like bright red

Would have loved to see when Carrie’s redemption is happening and it’s Julie and Carrie and Carrie’s like “sooooo 👀 I’ve seen how you look at your guitarist” and she immediately tries to shut it down but Carrie is like “Jules, we may not have been that close in the past year and some but we’ve known each other for how long? I can see your tells!”

I just think a lot about how this ship, even though they’re not meant to like each other yet they do and still care about each other, would have been approached more if we got the chance

[avephelis]

every time someone mischaracterises jay ferin as the therapist friend a fairy loses its wings btw. put some respect on her emotionally-constipated ass.

[skitter-queen]

fucked up thing is taylor's not even a bug girl, like she doesnt even LIKE them. her ass has NO interest in entomology!!! worm could have been about a weird bug nerd constantly fangirling about the new species of weevil she ate someones tongue with. but the real tragedy of worm is that she could only ever have gotten bug powers if bugs were something she disliked and found gross

[teratomatica]

and if you are loved by many people, i'm sure that everyone will be able to see you someday

[i-d-e-g-a-f]

i ache for katara so deeply, she deserves so much better than her canon fate. i cannot express in words how much her story and how the fandom views/treats her physically hurts me

[aj-lenoire]

i do not enjoy harry potter anymore and even when i did, snape was not a character i ever liked, but for some reason my ‘for you’ page is just full of dedicated snape stan accounts and i hate it

[dragonfoods]

I will have to read a romantasy book written by a straight man or a lesbian someday just to see if a certain tone is different because a lot of the romantasy books written by women that are attracted to men are just…sometimes…interesting in a bad way

“She was the strongest, most compassionate, most intelligent, kindest, most generous woman that ever existed. All the wise older characters like to pull her aside to tell her this. Unlike all the dumb evil cows that just wanted MMC for his hot body and deep pockets, FMC wanted MMC for his mind and his beautiful soul” just gives off a weird vibe

[dyketennant]

oh i can already tell i’m about to have some really unpopular opinions about the edge of sleep tv show

[sauljudgeman]

(Maybe a new series, idk)

What's an opinion that'll have you like this (in regards to ANYTHING pop culture related)

I'll go first!

1. Naoki Urasawa is the best manga author of all time.

2. Blood-C isn't as bad, as a lot of people say it is. It's an 8/10 anime, at best.

3. Loveless by My Bloody Valentine is not the pinnacle of shoegaze albums. Still a masterpiece, but check out Dynamo by Soda Stereo. It's even better!

4. There will never be a fictional character like Spike Spiegel again. From the way his character's personality was written, to his captivating backstory and bonds with others, I feel like Spike Spiegel is a blueprint for what a good fictional character should be. He made me feel for him and want to cheer him on, in a way that no other character has. And for that, I think Spike cements himself as the greatest fictional character of all time.

5. The 80s is the best decade, for music.

I got this template from a post by @midnightwinterhawk :D

[martian-hermit]

On the topic of The Bear again, the more I learn about Carmy, the more I find myself relating to him in multiple ways. I recognize that isn’t necessarily a good thing, but interesting to talk about regardless.

The most relatable thing about Carmy for me is the fact that he is apprehensive about allowing himself to enjoy things or indulge in anything fun because he’s scared of it being ruined. While it’s super depressing, it’s unfortunately an extremely relatable part of his character. The saying “all good things must come to an end,” once being words of wisdom eventually became a warning to me because of a lot of enjoyable things in my life being tainted or entirely destroyed has caused a sort of subconscious apprehension to joy. Obviously Carmy’s reasons for this and mine are different but the overarching idea is the same, I can’t allow myself to enjoy something because it’ll end horribly anyway. What’s worse is the effect that has on relationships of any kind. Simply withholding the feeling of happiness from yourself really shows to other people, and it’s a guaranteed way to end any relationship (platonic or otherwise) you ever have. It’s happened plenty of times, and it’s self sabotage, but you ultimately continue doing it because you feel safer.

Next major point of relatability I have to Carmy is his extreme awkwardness. He is exceedingly bad at articulating his emotions and even worse at conveying how he feels to people if he allows himself to do so at all. With all that, he usually just stays quiet. This is a part of his personality I unfortunately possess as well. My inability to convey my thoughts or emotions to people effectively leads me to simply avoid doing so entirely, and the way I talk to people often comes off as dismissive because I am absolutely horrible in conversation. The biggest consequence of having a major character flaw like this is that you often internalize everything, from every thought you couldn’t pitch in conversation to all of the things you bottle up despite desperately wanting to connect with people, you’re prone to outbursts. Thankfully mine are nowhere near as drastic as Carmy’s, but they definitely exist. While it could be cathartic in the moment, it’s absolutely devastating to see the effects afterward.

Lastly, it’s not as specific as the others above, but it’s more about the general state of Carmy’s social life and why I feel for him because I’ve got a similar issue. Carmy’s stated in the show that he never had relationships and he just had less and less friends as time went on, which hits extremely close to home for me. While I have had a relationship in the past and that’s not the same between Carmy and me, the having less friends over time is absolutely true. It’s a pretty typical experience to have short lived friend groups throughout school, but you still have friends regardless. Most people graduate and still have friends from high school or college that they keep around, and sometimes make friends through mutual friends or through work. I used to have friends, but over time my group got smaller and smaller until there was no one. As Carmy states at Al-anon, “the more people I cut out, the quieter my life got.” Only difference is I didn’t cut people out, but they cut me out, which is devastating. On top of all that, Carmy ruins his relationship with Claire because of his rambling about how he thinks their relationship was a waste of time. Sometimes I feel the same way about the last person I was genuinely interested in being around, but mostly regretful about ruining it. Ultimately, another really shitty aspect of Carmy’s character that I unfortunately relate to deeply.

I think the relatability of his character is one of the biggest reasons why I really loved the show. And despite Carmy often being a complete ass, I still root for him a lot. Because I don’t wanna see him worse off or to fail because if I can see him succeed, it feels like encouragement, like someone’s telling me “if someone you relate to and are similar to can improve and succeed, so can you.” It’s really powerful stuff, especially when you listen to his monologue. You feel for him, and if you’re unfortunate, you relate to him. And maybe that’s why Carmy is one of the most influential characters in fiction I’ve ever seen. It’s because there’s multiple parts of his character that I have personally. I felt called out by some of the shortcomings Carmy has, and that was a huge wake up call.

[viillette]

it's so crazy how few historical fiction novels are like sharon kay penman's. the way that they're built out of the skeleton of the historical record seems so obvious, but there's so few people who are actually willing to commit to it in the way that she did. it seems like so often that's just a starting point which gets reformed to fit a coherent narrative, but she makes no real attempt to do that. there's themes and foils and patterns, but first and foremost it is a reconstruction. you can't really know what someone who lived that long ago was like, only what they did, and you can feel how she takes these isolated, dramatic events and builds a whole life around them. the books are nothing more than an answer to the question 'what might someone have been like, what could the history between these people have been, to possibly explain something like this?' the ability to string together a handful of facts and events from medieval chronicles to create people that feel so real, and psychology and relationships that develop so naturally that these distant, seemingly impenetrable choices suddenly feel so immediate and clear is just beyond belief. you know this probably wasn't actually how things happened, but it doesn't matter because it was something like this. the particulars are less important the crushing awareness that at one point all of this made sense. there was a time when all of this was right now. the world is unrecognizable and exactly the same. that's something which sounds very simple but is incredibly difficult to accomplish.

you come to know these people so well, their loves and hatreds and ambitions and failures, and those things are rarely resolved in the end. you know them from the time that they're children, you watch each one of them die, and none of it means anything in particular except that they were a human being. things which seem like they must be building to some tragic fallout end in anticlimax. things which seem utterly inconsequential in the moment manifest again decades later in cataclysmic disaster. and then you see it all play out again from the beginning with their children, and their children's children. all these uncanny echoes, this endlessly unfolding palimpsest of lives, each laid over the triumphs and mistakes of those who came before. i've never read anything so epic with so much mastery over the micro and macro levels of history. it's the minute, seemingly inconsequential everyday details, which build into a lifetime, which builds into generation of lives, which builds into the rise and fall of kingdoms and empires. it's the merciless endlessly turning wheel of fortune that replays the same songs in different keys again and again for all time. a person is both an individual with free will, and the prisoner of their blood and circumstances. somehow everything has infinite weight, is tied to everything that has come before and will come after, is the culmination of someone's entire existence—their pains and joys and fears and hopes—and yet is simultaneously completely meaningless, just one more victim of fate in an endless procession of lives and choices. the whole impotent tragedy of humanity is laid out in front of you and it's so repulsive and beautiful. it's deep love and unfathomable, senseless horror briefly and miraculously reverberating in a vacuum, an absurd aberration fading into silence.

if it's not obvious these books have made me cry like 10 different times

[elvisqueso]

I am on some bullshit right now, bruh

[memento-morri-writes]

So, it's been a million years since I've done any real writing, but I was toying around with potential descriptions for one of my dnd campaigns, and I'm really proud of how it turned out:

tw for graphic description of an injury

Every inch of [Rook's] back and shoulders is raw, covered in dozens, maybe hundreds, of small cuts. They overlap and merge so that his entire back is one giant wound. But you can't even get a good look at the cuts, because they are covered by a thick layer of dried blood, almost black in some places.

This will be part of the description the party gets upon seeing Rook for the first time after he was kidnapped by Captain Wolf, and dear god I can't wait to see their reactions both in and out of character. :)))